Lake nearing summer pool

SANDPOINT — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer expects Lake Pend Oreille to reach its summer pool elevation by Monday.

The lake was at an elevation of 2,061 feet above sea level on Tuesday and will rise about 2 to 4 inches a day until it reaches an elevation of 2,062 feet.

The lake elevation ranges from 2,062 to 2,062.5 feet above sea level throughout the summer season for recreation uses. The current plan is to hold the lake in the summer operating range through the third weekend of September and above 2,061 feet through the fourth weekend of September. The corps lowers the lake elevation for the winter each year to provide flood risk management, for low lake levels during the kokanee spawning period from late-November through the end of December and for power generation through the winter.

Outflow from Albeni Falls Dam has decreased from a free-flow peak of 91,000 cubic feet per second June 7 to the current outflow of about 44,000 cfs. Flood risk has diminished from earlier in June when outflows were held high to manage flood risk during the peak of the flood season in the Clark Fork and Pend Oreille Basins.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ officials remind boaters to watch out for a potential increase in logs and other floating debris on Lake Pend Oreille. Logs and debris from the Clark Fork River may pass through a breach in the shear boom system; that breach was discovered in May during periodic inspections.

The Corps reminds boaters and the public to use caution, and be alert for logs and debris which can float just beneath the water surface. Floating and submerged logs and debris can be a safety hazard for boating activities in many water bodies, including Lake Pend Oreille. Boaters and people recreating on or in the lake should always take caution. Although the Corps tries to reduce the number of floating and submerged logs and debris through use of the Clark Fork drift yard, total elimination of these dangers is not possible.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.